Meet The Ref - Latics v Stevenage

The Latics are back in action on Tuesday when Stevenage visit the Brick Community Stadium, the referee for the match will be Blackburn official, Ben Toner.

Ben Toner

 

Toner is now in his 10^th season as an EFL referee, he worked his apprenticeship during three seasons at National League level.

He was promoted to the National List of Ref’s in the summer of 2015 and began refereeing Football League games that coming season, a quiet debut AFC Wimbledon v Plymouth League Two game on the 8^th August 2015, a two-nil away win for Argyle and just the one yellow card.

Since becoming a Football League ref, Toner has been in charge of over 300 games, issuing nearly 1,200 yellow and 48 red cards whilst awarding 93 penalties.

Previous Games

Ben Toner has refereed the Latics on six occasions previously, the last game ironically enough was our home encounter with Stevenage last season, we lost that game 2:3 and picked 4 yellow cards, there was a Latics goal mysteriously disallowed on the stroke of half time, which would have put us 3:1 up.

Toner’s last Stevenage game came last season, following our meeting he was also in charge of their 1:2 home defeat to Burton in April.

Ben Toner’s Six Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
27 Jan 2024	Championship	Latics 2:3 Stevenage	4Y
15 Mar 2022	League One	Crewe Alex 0:2 Latics	2Y
25 Jan 2022	EFL Trophy	Latics 1:0 Arsenal	2 Y
20 Mar 2021	League One	Accrington 3:1 Latics	1 Y
03 Nov 2020	League One	Blackpool 1:0 Latics	0
24 Feb 2018	League One	Latics 1:0 Rochdale	0

Ben Toner Card Watch 2024/25

Games – 6

Yellows – 23

Reds – 0

Penalty Awards – 1

Wigan Athletic v Stevenage
Referee – Ben Toner
Assistants – Olive Bickle and Jacob Lehane
Fourth Official – Ben Wyatt

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Stevenage game.

Meet The Ref - Lincoln v Latics

The Latics are on the road again on Saturday, a trip to Sincil Bank to face Lincoln City in League One, the referee for the game is Surrey based official, Craig Hicks.

 

Craig Hicks

Hicks progressed from his lowly beginnings in the Epsom & Ewel Youth League, through to taking charge of the Surrey Senior Cup Final in 2016 and eventually into the Football League for the 2017/18 season, his first game being Port Vale 2:3 Wycombe Wanderers on the 12 August 2017.

 Previous Games

This will be the fourth Wigan Athletic game that Craig Hicks has been in charge of, the first two of those coming in our League One title winning campaign in 2021/22.

Away at Charlton back in August ‘21, Tendayi Darikwa and James McClean on the score sheet in a 0:2 win for the Latics, Jordan Jones picking up a yellow card in that game.

Portsmouth at the tail end of that particular run-in in late April 22 saw his second Latics game, despite going two goals up and having one hand on the Champions trophy we ended up conceding three times in the second half and had to wait a week to clinch pole position.

Both Ben Amos and Tendayi Darikwa picking up yellows down at Fratton Park.

Last season, Hicks took charge of our FA Cup 1^st round win away at St. James’ Park against Exeter, Steven Sessegnon with an absolute screamer that day in a 0:2 victory.

Craig Hicks’s Latics Games

Date	Competition	Result	Latics Cards
15 Feb 2023	FA Cup	Exeter City 0:2Latics	1Y
26 Apr 2022	League One	Portsmouth 3:2 Latics	2Y
21Aug 2021	League One	Charlton 0:2 Latics	2Y

Craig Hicks Card Watch 2024/25

Games – 4

Yellows – 11

Reds – 0

Penalty Awards – 0

Lincoln City v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Craig Hicks
Assistants – Kenwyn Hughes and Thomas Cooke
Fourth Official – Richie Watkins

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast

featuring a preview of the Lincoln City game.

Meet The Ref - Bristol Rovers v Latics

Latics are back in action on Saturday with a trip to the Memorial Stadium to face Bristol Rovers in a League One encounter, the referee for the game will be Liverpool based official, Scott Jackson.

 

Scott Jackson

Scott Jackson is a Chief Petty Officer with over 20 years service in the RN, he has also recently been appointed an FA level 4 referee coach.

Scott has been officiating in the EFL since Good Friday in April 2023 when he took charge of the Harrogate Town v AFC Wimbledon League Two game, that finished 2:2 with a jubilant Scott Jackson remarking that he had “achieved a lifelong dream”.

Last season was his first full season and Saturday will be his first Latics game. He has recently been appointed an FA level 4 referee coach.

Just the one Bristol Rovers game under his belt for Jackson, that came last campaign, their 2:1 away defeat at Barnsley back in January.

Scott Jackson Card Watch 2024/25

Games – 6

Yellows – 24

Reds – 1

Penalty Awards – 0

Bristol Rovers v Wigan Athletic
Referee – Scott Jackson
Assistants – Kevin Howick and Grant Taylor
Fourth Official – Jason Richardson

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Bristol Rovers game.

Meet The Ref - Latics v Morecambe

Latics face Morecambe on Tuesday at the Brick Community Stadium in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy group stage, the referee for the game will be Sussex based official, Jacob Miles.

 

Jacob Miles

This is the Brighton lad’s second season on the National List, though he has been refereeing since he was a 13 year old, he graduated through the local leagues to make the National League during the 2020/21 season.

Jacob miles also gained good experience around the world of football officialdom, working as the Sussex FA’s Referee Administrator and also their Referee Fitness coach.

 Previous Games

Jacob Miles hasn’t previously refereed either a Latics or Morecambe game, though he was scheduled to referee our away day at Vale Park in December last season but there was a change of official on match day.

He has been involved in two Latics game previously though, the 4^th Official duties last season for our away defeat, on penalties, in the EFL Cup at Wrexham in last August and our 1:2 away win at Fratton Park against Portsmouth in April.

In his inaugural season, Miles chalked up 21 games, issuing 84 yellow cards and just the 1 red, he awarded 4 penalty kicks.

Jacob Miles Card Watch 2024/25

Games – 3

Yellows – 13

Reds – 0

Penalty Awards – 1

Wigan Athletic v Morecambe
Referee – Jacob Miles
Assistants – Ollie Williams and Oliver Nolan
Fourth Official – Zharir Mustafa

Grab a listen to the latest PWU Latics podcast featuring a preview of the Morecambe game.